Steve Aoki's Neon Party Turns Club Cinema Into a Techno Swamp

Photo by Reed Fischer

Zeek was all smiles.

​New Times Broward-Palm Beach Calendar Editor Mickie Centrone attends and details some of the finest -- and occasionally subpar -- events from a given week. Last Tuesday, she raided the "If It's On, It's Neon" event at Club Cinema in Pompano Beach.

I've been to Ultra, I've seen Rabbit in the Moon, Spacemen, among others, been to raves at the now defunct Orbit/Orbital, but I've never seen anything like this. You know those apocalyptic movies, like Matrix, or vampiric ones, like Blade, and they have those rave scenes that you don't think exist, well they do. That was "If It's On, It's Neon" at Club Cinema -- just more sloppy, more oral fixation: lollipops and pacifiers. And to get a better idea what this party was like, you'll have to add flashing, swirling mechanical wind wheels, two inches in front of a 18-year-old's face.  That floor upstairs was bouncing -- forget that, the whole building was a trampoline. It's a rave for the young, featuring DJ Steve Aoki, who got a horde of glow sticks thrown to him on the stage when he took off his mask.

 

Photo by Alex Markow

Talk about a chemically-enhanced swarm.

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Photo by Reed Fischer

I was following the neon rabbit-eared girl hoping she could lead me to the mystery known as Aoki until she got slapped in the face by another chick. Then I backed away.

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Photo by Reed Fischer

After he shouted, "Smoke weed everyday!" the young gent on the right pondered: "Is this a rave... I dunno. I'm a gangsta. I don't do these." Sidenote: His friend was upset there was no beer pong.

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Photo by Reed Fischer

She's part of the Hypnotic Gurlz.

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Photo by Reed Fischer

"I'm having a great time," said Zeek. "I'm out with my friends and calling the ones who aren't here and telling them that I love them." I heard many mumblings of "I love you, we gotta do this!, I love you...

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Photo by Reed Fischer

"I just got done filming for MTV... it's a douchebag show," said Vinny "Gamecock." The show is Is She Really Going Out With Him? Episode 9, if you're curious. That's his girlfriend, by the way.

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Photo by Mickie Centrone

All he could say to me as I kept trying to talk to him: "It's too loud." He then darted off abruptly.

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Photo by Alex Markow

The wonders of Aoki...

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Photo by Alex Markow

...only get amplified when his arms go up.

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Photo by Mickie Centrone

The come down is a bitch. Most likely this is what the kids felt like in the morning -- the dirty combo of old Vicks and vomit.

​ The rave culture here in sunny South Florida is very much alive, and the next one, Darude, is set for Club Cinema September 19. This rave will be brought to you by folks who use human inflatable hamster balls and confetti bombs.